Would Julio Jones be realistic for the Chiefs?
So it has come out the Atlanta Falcons have been listening to trade calls about Julio Jones, frankly, I'll be the first to admit it I doubt he will get traded but it doesn't change the fact Kansas City should be doing everything in their power to bring him here for a multitude of reasons.
Why Kansas City should make the trade.
So the Chiefs already have arguably the best offensive trio of all time with Mahomes, Kelce, and Hill but everyone underneath them leaves a little more to be desired. Nobody is shaking in their boots at the thought of having to game plan for Mecole Hardman or Byron Pringle. Which was part of the reason the Chiefs were humiliated in the Super Bowl, Todd Bowles gameplan held Kelce and Hill in check long enough for the pressure to get to Mahomes, and with the additions of Thuney and Orlando Brown half of that problem is solved but why not take it a step further and give arguably the most talented quarterback to ever lace em' up arguably the best receiver in the league? What game plan exists that could stop that offense? The offensive line is good enough to give Mahomes plenty of time in the pocket and with a trio of Hill, Kelce, and Julio the only way that offense doesn't get in the endzone is a major injury or some sort of horrendous play calling.. Say what you want about the long-term ramifications of this trade but Julio in Kansas City all but guarantees the winner of Super Bowl LVI even in the absolute worst-case scenario at least the Chiefs would stop a team like Baltimore from having their pass game changed by Julio.
What would make Atlanta accept the trade?
Atlanta obviously isn't just going to hand Julio to the Chiefs they have to get something in return and I think the Chiefs can pay whatever Atlanta's price tag is. If I was in the GM chair my initial offer to Atlanta would be a 2022 2nd round pick as well as a 3rd round pick and/or potentially a player. Keep in mind Ian Rapoport of NFL Network emphasized that the Falcons don't believe they'd get back the value they're looking for when trading Julio Jones. Jones is also an aging player coming off of an injury-riddled season which would give teams leverage in negotiations but that doesn't mean he's still not one of the best receivers in the league when healthy.
But how would they get the money to do it?
The salary cap is a myth if you have a good GM, and though I have been a very vocal critic of general manager Brett Veach, he has been a cap wizard. I also have no doubt Julio would restructure his contract in some capacity for the opportunity to finally get the ring he was robbed of in Super Bowl LI. Additionally, the impending extension of Tyrann Mathieu would free some money for Kansas City this year and the new TV contract makes everything easier due to the highly-anticipated cap boom next offseason. So while the addition of Julio Jones would be a tight fit under the cap, it is far from impossible. Plus, Jones' number comes down from $15 million to just over $11 million after the 2021 season.
How would Kansas City address the other needs on the team?
Despite what the "fans" on Twitter say, having Patrick Mahomes on the roster does not guarantee a Super Bowl. We saw that in the Super Bowl. This team still has some holes that need to be filled in the draft but obviously, that can't happen if Atlanta has those future picks. First and foremost, If the Chiefs get Julio then whatever draft picks they still have can go towards defense because the offense would be pretty much set for a while. Besides, getting Julio Jones would be an obvious sacrifice of the future for an essentially a surefire Super Bowl. However, the solution is simply ring chasers or "mercenaries", basically veterans who really want a ring or players who don't have the market they wanted signing one-year deals to get a quick ring. A trade for Julio Jones would cause a shockwave to go throughout the sports world and the Chiefs would be heavy favorites to reclaim their title and at this point in the season no free agent is going to get the money they want so why not get a ring? Perhaps Justin Houston Le'Veon Bell and Mitchell Schwartz want to finish what they started? Maybe Richard Sherman, KJ Wright, and Bashaud Breeland want to reach the mountain top again? Or Casey Hayward, Todd Gurley, and Melvin Ingram want to get their first rings. The point is if the Chiefs get Julio they wouldn't have to do a lot of selling of the team to players.
Bottom line
Look, the bottom line is Brett Veach has likely fallen in love with some draft prospects that he will draft and believe the team is a Super Bowl contender but if the Chiefs add Julio Jones no matter the price tag that is the scariest offense ever so why not do it? Super Bowl windows are few and far between so lets go all out and bring the Lombardi back to Kansas City where it belongs with Julio Jones.